Doctors’ pay ‘not equitable’ says health authority vice president

Written by Matt Brand:

While family doctors argue they are underpaid by the province, they've found an unlikely ally: an official with the province. 

Last week, a video released by the Nova Scotia Health Authority featured their vice president of medicine, Dr. Lynne Harrigan, saying there is pay inequity between the family physicians and hospitalists. 

Hospitalists are like family doctors, except they care for patients in the hospital. 

“Unfortunately, we have a compensation system in this province that is not, in fact, equitable.,” she says. “And so because (hospitalists) got a fair deal others who now feel they're not paid on a similar level to the hospitalists, are reacting.”

She went on to refer to family doctors and psychiatrists as the lowest paid in Canada.

“We have a system of payment that is inequitable, we have the lowest payment for psychiatrists in the country,” she says. “It's no surprise that we have trouble recruiting psychiatrists in our rural areas because of that issue.”

This is despite Harrigan's comments to the legislature's public accounts committee earlier this week where she said “compensation is way down the list” when it comes to doctors choosing where they want to work.

Following the province's deal with hospitalists, they'll be paid an average of $239,000 compared to $175,000 for family doctors. 

Harrigan urged all doctors to join together to fight for fair pay for all.